Dick Starks
Dick Starks has written two books about the joy of flying; “You Want To Build And Fly A What?” and “Fokkers At Six O’clock!!” He was the recipient of Flying’s 2001 Bax Seat Award “for perpetuating the Gordon Baxter tradition of communicating the excitement and romance of flight.” Dick and his wife, Sharon, both fly WW-I replica aircraft.
The Dawn Patrol
Bent landing gear on a Kolb Twinstar MK-II? This is a job for the Flabtrolic press—or maybe not.
The Dawn Patrol
They may not be comfortable, and they don't go fast, but flying a WW-I plane is just plain fun. When you can share the experience with some American heroes, its even better.
The Dawn Patrol
When the National Geographic Channel throws down an aviation challenge, The Dawn Patrol answers the call.
The Dawn Patrol
When one email gets forwarded far and wide, an airport picnic (featuring a surfeit of fried green tomatoes) ends up attracting a mob. But The Dawn Patrol rises to the challenge.
The Dawn Patrol
Each stalwart member of The Dawn Patrol has had his "day in the hay" (i.e., an off-airport landing). Now Sharon Starks is initiated into that venerable club.
The Dawn Patrol
When the chainsaw starters they'd been using on their airplanes for years finally started to give out, Dawn Patrol members searched for a replacement. It turned up in a garden tractor.
The Dawn Patrol
The Dawn Patrol crew managed to stay out of trouble (mostly) on their visit to the Gathering of Eagles in Gardner, Kansas.
In Case You Missed It
Build It Better: What’s Your Backup Plan?
The word “redundancy” is often heard in aviation, and with good reason. But a well-thought-out backup plan involves more than just having two of everything.
Wind Tunnel
The aerodynamics of an airplane sometimes don't cooperate with the pilots desire to roll, and instead produce both yaw and roll. Contributing factors are aileron parasite drag, induced drag between the wings and changes in the roll rate itself;
Ask the DAR
When can an ELSA be used commercially? Can an E/AB aircraft be certificated without a transponder?
Hatz Classic: A Homebuilt Waco
First-time builder Ron Sieck’s Hatz Classic biplane comes charmingly close to perfection.